House Speaker John Boehner demands cuts for debt limit increase

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House Speaker John Boehner demands cuts for debt limit increase

(CNN) — House Republicans won’t support raising the federal government’s borrowing limit without new spending cuts from the Obama administration, and the White House risks an unprecedented U.S. default by refusing, House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday.

Speaking six days into a partial government shutdown and 11 days before the Treasury Department expects to hit its statutory debt ceiling, Boehner told ABC’s “This Week” that he wants “a serious conversation” about spending, but no tax increases. Asked if the United States would default on debt payments unless President Barack Obama makes concessions, Boehner said, “That’s the path we’re on.”

“The votes are not in the House to pass a clean debt limit, and the president is risking default by not having a conversation with us,” said Boehner, R-Ohio.